What next? Airbags for Boats?

[seabug]

http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Car_20flotation_20airbag_20system

Just thinking outside the square and put into Google "Compressed air bouyancy bags."

Will we someday see boats fitted with bouyancy airbags that are fitted in pods outside the boat and are activated by sensors fitted inside the boat in very dry areas.

I know it is a long way from where we are now ,but given that most of us can remember a time before airbags in steering wheel hubs and some of us even predate seatbelts is it so fancifull.

Regards
seabug

[BM]

I doubt we will evr see it. Purely because the marine market is such a small market (in terms of its input to annual GDP) that regulation on many and nearly every front does not exist....

[Kerry]

It takes an awfull lot of rather large airbags to keep even a small boat of the bottom, so either boats will get bigger or air is going to become much lighter :)

[seabug]

It takes an awfull lot of rather large airbags to keep even a small boat of the bottom, so either boats will get bigger or air is going to become much lighter :)

So a 2000kg boat under water would (I think) need 2cubic metres of air to keep it from sinking.

How big and air tank at say 100psi would be needed(Can anyone help with the maths?)
Regards
seabug

[marco]

So a 2000kg boat under water would (I think) need 2cubic metres of air to keep it from sinking.

How big and air tank at say 100psi would be needed(Can anyone help with the maths?)
Regards
seabug

i was wondering as with a inflatable life jacket the gas bottle is quite small and is capable of keeping afloat a 120kg person , so to keep afloat a 2000kg boat would need a gas bottle and bag 16.7 times bigger than the life jacket which i would think is not that big , less than a scuba tank anyway . does that equation work or not ?

mark

[Brumby]

Seabug, I've seen something along the lines you're talking about on the targa of a couple of large RIB's, the kind you see around the oil fields and used for heavy weather rescue. Not buoyancy per se, but rather a way of helping to right them. Hell it even works on a chopper - at a price!

Only problem I forsee is that "sinking feeling" is going to get very real if your bag has gotten itself a couple of little chafe holes and all that compressed gas whistles out.

Cheers

[seabug]

Thanks for replies.

Seems that chafing would not be a problem.
Have a look at the Aere fenders on this site that can be folded for storage.

http://www.arizonaboatingandwatersports.com/newproductsreview.php

Also on same page is a removeable fish cleaning tray that fits on the side of boats.That would be a handy item.
Regards
seabug